The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1887-11-09
HORRORS OF NIGHTMARE.
Curious Attack of am Entire French Regi-
ment.

Curious Attack of AN Entire French Regi-
ment.
A French physician has recorded q
very extraordinary case in which the
nightmare attacked an entire regiment
OF soldiers. DIR. Laurent, the physi-
clan in question, said he was surgeon
of the first battalion of the La Tour
dAuvergne Regiment, when it was gar
risoned at Palmi, in Calabria. At mid
night, in the month of June, the order
to march with all possible speed to Tro-
pea, forty miles away, was given. AT
o'clock on the following evening Tro-
pea was reached, scarcely single halt
having been made by the way.
The men arrived in pitiful state OF
exhaustion and fatigue, in consequence
mainly of the intense heat, found their
rations cooked, their quarters prepared,
ani, after hearty meal, retired for
the night in an abandoned monastery,
q building much too small for their
number, sleeping upon heaps of straw,
some in one room, some In others.
just before occupying their unwhoie-
some quarters some of the soldiers
heard Chat the monastery was haunted
by demon dog, and spread the story
from one to another, some uncomforta-
bly,, most of them merrily. There
seemed little fear of their sleep being
disturbed after such days work as
they had done.
But at midnight the deep silence was
suddenly broken by loud, wild cries of
terror. The white-faced soldiers
rushed tumultuousiy from their cham
bers in every direction, and ono and
all at once told the same tale of super
stitious terror. One and all had been
visited by the phantom dog! The
monastery was abandoned, and the
weary soldiers, veterans in war and IA
nous for their bravery, wandered about
the town or slept In sheds and out
houses rather than again face the ter
rors of what was undoubtedly bad
attack of nightmare, consequent upon
sleep following an undigested meal
taken while in condition of great ia
tigue. Some idea of the awful state
of terror into which the distorted im-
ages of the fancy or memory have
thrown people may be CLEANED from
the fact that medical men have recorded
many cases in which they have resulted
: IN death.
An artist of eminence, whose en-
graved pictures are now to be seen in
every print-shop window-one of the
writer's best friendships the night
mare occasionally, but with him it in
variably takes one form. He seems to
be awakened by sensation of GOODNESS,
such as might be caused by the sudden
admission of outdoor air, and at the
same time sees O mans hand busy with
the notwithstanding lie slips quietly
from his bed, takes up the poker, con-
ceals himself behind the window
curtain, hears the fastening of the
window thrust back, and with q sensa-
ton of spiteful glee ra SEES his weapon
to bring it down with all its force upon
the head which he knows will in min
ute or two be thrust into his room.
The window is softly and slowly raised,
and he is in a culver of eagerness to
deal the vengeful blow, grim smile
on his face, fierce fash in his eye,
when To- the head appears.
But horror OF horrors The artists
appraised arm is still aud rigid; he can
not strike the blow. And the face then
turned toward him is one of hideous
mockery and seorn, with protruding
tongue, the fangs of wild beast, and
the expression of tend. And so he
remains face to face with his frightful
enemy, utterly helpless, and in state
of indescribable torture. he effect
of nightmare in this form is, he tells
me, an almost maddening one. and he
can only account for its frequent repeti-
ton as resulting from an unusually
powerful impression made upon his
memory ia conjunction with its curious
ally, the imagination, which is, in his
case, one of more than usual power
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